Report: Google had tried to buy WhatsApp for $10 billion

Yesterday, we reported that Facebook was buying messaging behemoth WhatsApp for a staggering $19 billion in cash and stock. It appears they were not the only company aiming to buy the small company.

According to Fortune, Google tried, unsuccessfully, to acquire the company for $10 billion.

The news comes via sources close to WhatsApp. The report also claims that Google did not offer a board seat to WhatsApp founder and CEO Jan Koum, which Facebook did.

WhatsApp has over 400 million active users and only 35 employees. The other co-founder, Brian Acton, applied to work for Facebook in 2009 and was not hired. I believe the new billions in his account will ease that pain.